Earmuff sets



Jan. 28, 1964 B. MILLINGER ETAL 3,119,119

EARMUFF SETS FledMaroh 15, 1962 2 FIG l FIG.2

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United States Patent O 3,119,119 EARMUFF SETS Bernard Millinger, 140 Ocean Parkway, and Melvin Millinger, 1160 Ocean Ave., both of- New York, N.Y. Filed Mar. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 179,978 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-209) The present invention relates to earmuffs and especially to earmuif sets of the type in which a pair of earmuffs are interconnected by telescopic supporting means that may be adjustably fitted over the wearers head.

In earmuff sets of the character described, as heretobefore made, the telescoping connecting structure was generally made of curved, resilient spring bands either metallic, in the form of wire or bars, or plastic, each of which bands was provided with a loop at one end that fitted over the other band. The telescoping structure of the earmuif sets of the prior art presented certain shortcomings in that they made hard and rigid contact with the head, apt to irritate or press painfully on the head, especially at the point where the loops are attached to the spring bands, and created rigid bulges at those points. Also, the telescoping connecting structure of the earmuif sets of the prior art, especially when made of metal, felt chilly on the head, especially the head of a person having sparse hair. Additionally, such telescopic connecting means of the prior art did not present an attractive appearance, and were incapable of variation in appearance and were not adaptable to individual taste.

It is the object of the present invention to provide earrnuff sets having adjustable telescopic muff-connecting means of the character described which overcome all the foregoing shortcomings.

It is thus one object of the present invention to provide an earmuif set having soft-covered, telescopic rnuf connecting means which is non-irritating and comfortable to wear.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an earmuif set having telescopic connecting means that will have a soft and warrn feel on the head.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide earmui sets of the character described having telescopic connecting means which are readily adaptable for great variation in appearance, in a manner that the color of the connecting means may be related to the color of the earmufs proper, either by way of matching or by way of contrast, and also to the color of other garments, to give the earmuif sets a greater aesthetic appeal, which may be particularly desirable when the earmufs are worn both by men and women, as is frequently the case, without any head covering thereover.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide earmuff sets of the character described that may be relatively easily and economically produced.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the earmuif sets of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensive, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is an elevational view of an earmuff set embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a foreshortened view of one form of sleeve 3,119,119 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 ICC or sheath for use with each of the spring bands of the earmuif connecting means of the invention.

Generally stated, the present invention resides in the provisions of a fabric sleeve or sheath for each of the resilient or spring bands forming the telescoping connecting units of the earmuff connecting means of the earmuff set of the present invention, and in providing the telescoping guide means for these units as part of these sheaths, instead of the bands proper, so that the telescoping structure is formed with a surface that is soft and comfortable to the feel and the guiding loops are likewise formed of soft yieldable material that is nonirritating and comfortable to the touch. Further, being made of fabric, the sleeves or sheaths are capable of being formed of fabrics of different texture and different color and design, to enable the production of an infinite variety of earmuif sets.

Referring nowin greater detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the same is shown to comprise a pair of ear coverings or mulfs, 10, which may be of any conventional structure, shape and material, interconnected by a bowed, resilient, adjustable interconnecting means. Such interconnecting means may comprise a pair of resilient telescoping units, each generally designated as 12, each connected at one end to a muif, 10, and telescopically engaging the other unit at its other end.

Each unit, 12, comprises a longitudinally arcuate band or spring, 14, which may be formed of a metal bar or spaced metal wires or may comprise a resilient plastic band as illustrated. Each spring band 14 is covered with a fabric sheath, generally designated as 16, consisting of a snugly fitting, fabric tube that encloses the band 14 and has secured thereto at its end remote from the connection to the muf 10, a transversely-extending fabric loop, 18, adapted to receive slidably therewith in the companion unit 12. The sheaths and loops 18 may each be formed of any pliable fabric, as textile, plastic, or leather, and may preferably be in the form of a flat tube consisting of a pair of plies of fabric, 20 and 22, either integrally or separately formed and secured along their two longitudinal edges and one end edge as at 24 and 26, respectively. The loop 1S may preferably be formed integrally with the sheath 16, as by providing one or both of its plies 20 and 22 with laterally, integral extensions, 23, at one edge that may be folded across the sheath and have their free ends secured to the opposed edge of the sheath. The plies 20 and 22 may be secured to one another in any conventional manner most appropriate and suitable to the fabric of which they are made. Thus, when made of textile or leather fabric, the sheath may be formed by the stitching of the ply edges. In the illustrated embodiment, the sheath is formed of a synthetic plastic fabric, as vinyl or other suitable synthetic plastic material, and the plies 20 and 22 of which it is composed, are secured along their edges by seams formed by heat-sealing.

In assembling the earmuff sets of the present invention, a pair of sheaths 16 is first formed, in the manner described, With their loops 18 completed. A spring band 14 is then inserted into each sheath 16 through its open end; one of the springs being inserted so that its curvature faces the looped side of the sheath and the other with its curvature facing the opposite side of the sheath. Each of the sheathed bands or units 16 is then inserted by its free end through the loop 18 of the other and then secured, preferably pivotally, by its free end, in any conventional manner to an earmuff 10, as by means of the eyelet rivet, 3i), engaging the metal tab, 32, hingedly secured on the earmuif 10.

This completes the description of the earmuff sets of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such earmuif sets are comfortable to wear by reason of their soft, yielding feel against the head and also by reason of their feel on the head. It will also be apparent that the `earmui setsofthe present invention may be infinitely varied in appearance, to provide varied ornamental eiects by way of color matching or contrast of design. It will be additionally apparent that the earmuif sets of the present invention may be produced at little if any advance in cost over the conventional earmuif sets of the prior art.

It will further be apparent that various modifications and variations in the earmuif sets of the present invention may be made by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinafter set forth and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. We desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such modifications and variations that may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim hereto appended.

What is claimed:

In an earmuff set, a pair of earmufI's and means resiliently and adjustably connecting said earmuffs for fitting over a head, said connecting means comprising a pair of spring units each secured by one end to one of said earmuffs and telescopically engaged on the other of said units at its other end, each said unit comprising an elongated, longitudinally arcuate spring element and a fabric sheath fitted on said element, the sheath of each of said units comprising a pair of fabric plies connected along three of their edges and at least one of said plies having a laterally-extending strip secured to a longitudinally-extending edge thereof at said other end, said strip folded across said sheath and secured to the other longitudinal edge thereof and forming a loop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,398,958 Basch Dec. 6, 1921 2,179,615 Craig Nov. 14, 1939 2,216,954 McDonough Oct. 8, 1940 

